Portal Definitions
Product Category Definitions
PORTAL DEFINITIONS
City
The city in which the institution resides.
Country
Country where the institution resides.
Current Enrollment Total
The total enrollment number (all students regardless of student status).
Current Enrollment Year
The year the current enrollment total is effective.
Defunct on Year
The year the institution stopped existing.
Degree Type
Higher Education
2-year
Programs requiring at least 2 years but less than 4 years of full-time equivalent college level work, including associate’s degrees and programs that can be completed in at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours to obtain a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential.
4-year and Above
A postsecondary institution that offers programs of at least 4 years duration or one that offers programs at or above the baccalaureate level. Includes schools that offer postbaccalaureate certificates only or those that offer graduate programs only. Also includes free-standing medical, law or other first-professional schools.
Administrative Unit
The system or central office in a multi-campus environment.
CEGEP
CEGEP stands for Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel in French, which translates to “College of General and Vocational Education” in English. CEGEP is a unique educational institution found in the province of Quebec, Canada. It bridges the gap between secondary school (high school) and university or the workforce. CEGEP education typically spans two to three years, depending on the program.
Further Education
Further education (FE) refers to education that occurs after the completion of compulsory or statutory education, which typically covers primary and secondary schooling.
The specific structure and terminology of further education can vary between countries. In the United Kingdom, for example, further education is distinct from higher education and is often provided by further education colleges or sixth form colleges. In other countries, similar concepts might be covered by terms like vocational education, adult education, or community college education.
Less than 2 years
A postsecondary institution that offers programs of less than 2-years duration below the baccalaureate level. Includes occupational and vocational schools with programs that do not exceed 1800 clock hours.
Sixth Form College
A Sixth Form College is an educational institution in the United Kingdom and some other countries that provides post-16 education, typically for students aged 16 to 18. The term “Sixth Form” itself refers to the final two years of secondary education, where students prepare for advanced-level qualifications, such as A-levels (Advanced Level General Certificate of Education).
School District
Alternative School District
An alternative school district might have a range of programs or schools that offer alternative educational methods, flexible schedules, or targeted support services. These districts may aim to provide diverse educational options to cater to the individual needs of students.
Charter School District
Charter school districts are publicly funded schools that operate independently of traditional school districts and are granted more flexibility in terms of curriculum, teaching methods, and organizational structure.
School District
A school district is a geographical administrative area within which a local government or an elected school board oversees public education. The purpose of a school district is to manage and operate public schools within its boundaries. The structure, organization, and responsibilities of school districts can vary between countries and regions.
Separate School District
In Canada, a separate school is a type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces (Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan) and statutory status in the three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut).
The constitutionally provided mandate of a separate school jurisdiction and of a separate school is to provide education in a school setting that the separate school board considers reflective of Roman Catholic (or, rarely, Protestant) theology, doctrine, and practices.
Description
The institution’s short description.
Institution Merger
True, if the institution is the result of a merger.
Institution Type
Private
An educational institution controlled by a private individual(s) or by a nongovernmental agency, usually supported primarily by other than public funds, and operated by other than publicly elected or appointed officials. These institutions may be either for-profit or not-for-profit.
Private For-Profit
A private institution in which the individual(s) or agency in control receives compensation other than wages, rent, or other expenses for the assumption of risk.
Private Not-For-Profit
A private institution in which the individual(s) or agency in control receives no compensation, other than wages, rent, or other expenses for the assumption of risk. These include both independent not-for-profit schools and those affiliated with a religious organization.
Public
An educational institution whose programs and activities are usually operated by publicly elected or appointed school officials, and which is supported primarily by public funds.
Parent Institution
An institution that reports some or all data for another institution, known as the child institution.
Peer Institutions
Peer institutions are institutions that are selected to be used for comparative analysis and benchmarking of institutional qualities. Peers usually have common qualities such as level of resources, student headcount, and institutional goals.
Source: University of Arkansas – Little Rock
Region
Region where the institution resides – state in U.S.A.; province or territory in Canada; counties in the United Kingdom; etc.
Report Under Parent
True, if the institution in question does not compute its own enrollment.
Statewide System
A grouping of institutions who are administratively linked together.
Technology Stack (Tech Stack)
Technology stack—or institutional technological infrastructure—refers to the various systems and applications required to manage and deliver higher education.
The exact layout of systems can vary greatly among institutions, depending on the size and purpose of the organization. Nonetheless, successful institutions maintain a similar and consistent layout—which you’ll learn below.
Source: ModernCampus.com
UNITID
The institution’s governmental ID – in U.S.A. = IPEDS or NCES; in U.K. = UKPRN; etc.
Website
The institution’s main URL.
Year Founded
The year the institution was founded.
PRODUCT CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
Alert Notification
Alert notification systems are a one-way communication system used by educational institutions to disseminate real-time critical information to their students, faculty, and staff members via multiple devices. Alert notification systems are also used in the case of emergencies as part of the institution’s broader risk management, where mass notifications are necessary to mobilize team members and prevent major disruptions.
Business Intelligence
Business Intelligence (BI) is a technology-driven process used for accessing and analyzing current and historical data from various sources. They typically consist of several components, including integration tools, reporting tools and dashboards which gather data from other higher education systems like the institution’s learning management system, the student information system and financial systems. This allows users to gain insights into how the institution is performing and thus may improve decision-making, student success and operational efficiencies.
Career Readiness
A Career Readiness Solutions system in higher education refers to a comprehensive program that prepares students for their future careers by providing them with a range of tools and resources to develop the necessary skills required in today’s job market. This system includes activities like career counseling, job search assistance, resume-building workshops, internships, mentoring, and training in specific skill areas such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork.
Catalog Management
A Catalog Management system allows for the creation, editing, and publishing of course descriptions, schedules, as well as policies and procedures. It provides students and faculty with information about courses, prerequisites, and degree requirements. It can also help faculty and administrators collaborate on course development and program approvals while ensuring compliance with accreditation standards, thus improving the overall efficiency and accuracy of the institution’s academic catalog.
Conferencing
Conferencing Systems allow for remote communication and collaboration between students, faculty, and staff. They can support various modes of online communication and collaboration, such as webinars, video conferences, virtual meetings, and online classes, and they typically offer features such as screen sharing, recording, polling, breakout rooms, and whiteboarding. Conferencing systems are especially useful for online courses, virtual meetings, and distance learning programs.
Customer Relationship Management
A Customer Relationship Management system for admissions is a software platform designed to manage and improve communication with prospective students or applicants. The system helps schools streamline the admissions process by tracking applicant information and automating the outreach response. Admissions teams can monitor the applicant’s progress, schedule interviews, and personalize communication based on the prospective student’s interests and needs.
A Customer Relationship Management system for alumni is a software platform that leverages technology, social media, and other communication channels to engage alumni and provide them with opportunities to stay connected with their alma mater. The system tracks contact information, donation history, event attendance, and other relevant data to help schools communicate with their alumni community effectively.
A Customer Relationship Management system (general) is a software platform designed to manage and improve communications with the institution’s community, from prospective students to current students, alumni, faculty members, and other partners. The system helps centralize the information collected, personalize communication based on individual interests, needs and behaviour, as well as streamline various processes.
E-Portfolio
An E-Portfolio system is a digital platform that allows students to collect, curate, and showcase their academic work, accomplishments, and learning experiences over time, thus creating a personalized narrative of their academic journey. An E-Portfolio system includes a range of multimedia formats that can organized into categories or themes. The system can also provide feedback and assessment.
E-Procurement
An E-Procurement system is a platform that facilitates the procurement of goods and services by making it easier for universities and colleges to search for, compare, and order products and services from multiple vendors in an efficient and cost-effective manner. It also provides valuable data and insights to help institutions make informed procurement decisions and track their spending.
An email system is an electronic communication tool that allows students, faculty, and staff to communicate with one another in an official manner. It allows college authorities to disseminate important information, such as course announcements, campus updates, and administrative notices. Email systems may also include features such as calendars, task lists, and contact lists.
Faculty Information
A Faculty Information System allows for managing, sharing, updating and accessing information regarding faculty members of a given institution. It typically includes features such as faculty profiles, course scheduling and workload management. It also tracks teaching and research activities and accomplishments, thus helping with faculty recruitment, promotion, and tenure decisions.
Financial Aid
Financial Aid Systems assist students through various forms of financial support, including scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. It is with the help of Financial Aid Systems that employees of the institution ensure that all eligible students get access to adequate and personalized financial resources.
Financial
Financial Systems manages budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, as well as the financial decision-making of a higher education institution. It helps track and allocate funds to students and researchers, overseeing scholarships and grants while optimizing financial resources to support various academic and administrative needs.
Grant Management
Grant Management System can help institutions streamline the grant application, approval, and reporting processes as well as track grant-related tasks, deadlines, and budget information, while providing real-time reporting and monitoring capabilities.
Help Desk
A Help Desk system allows users to submit requests for help, such as IT issues, password resets, and software installation problems. It also allows support staff to track and manage requests, assign tasks, and communicate with users to resolve issues quickly, thus providing expeditious support across the various faculties and departments throughout the campus.
Human Resources
Human Resources Systems handle recruitment, hiring, onboarding, employee records management, payroll, benefits administration, performance evaluation, professional development, and employee relations. It streamlines the institution’s workforce management processes, enhances employee satisfaction and productivity, and ultimately contributes to the overall success of the institution.
Integrated Library
Integrated Library System is a specialized software platform designed to manage and automate a library’s core functions. It integrates various modules to handle operations such as cataloging, circulation, and acquisition in a unified system.
Modern ILS systems are often web-based and may integrate with discovery tools and cloud services to provide seamless access to both physical and digital collections.
Learning Analytics
Learning Analytics Platforms use advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and data mining to identify patterns and trends in students’ behavior and performance. This information helps educators make data-driven decisions to enhance student success and engagement by providing valuable insights into their learning journey.
Learning Management
Learning Managemenrt Systems allow for course managements, provide communication tools, support assessment and grading, host a range of learning resources that allow instructors to tailor content and assignments to individual student needs, provide analytics tools as well as many administrative capabilities such as enrollment tracking, and course scheduling.
Library Information (General)
Library Information Systems (General) refer to the combination of technologies, tools, and processes used to manage, organize, and facilitate access to information resources in a library. These systems support the library’s administrative, operational, and service-oriented functions, ensuring efficient resource management and enhanced user experiences.
Massive Open Online Courses
Massive Open Online Courses are designed to be flexible, allowing learners to study at their own pace and on their own schedule. They have the ability to reach a large number of learners, enabling those individuals to enhance their knowledge and skills in various domains. They are also invaluable for professional development or for students seeking to bolster their existing education.
Online Program Management
Online Program Management systems provide support and assistance to higher education institution in developing, launching, marketing and managing their online programs involving curriculum design, targeted advertising, technology infrastructure, instructional and student support, quality assurance, as well as data analytics assisting in enrollment and retention.
Portals
Portals are designed to make life easier by having all important information and resources in one place. They are a one-stop-shop for a student’s academic journey or an administrator’s daily tasks; whether it is course registration, managing grades or communicating an event to the campus community.
Proctor
A Proctor System in higher education refers to the monitoring process which ensures the integrity of examinations, assessments or any other academic activity requiring the prevention of plagiarism or any form of academic dishonesty.
Retention Management
A Retention Management system typically include these key components: data analytics, early warning systems, academic advising, student support services, retention strategies, assessment and evaluation, Faculty engagement and more. Not only does a Retention Management System help students pursue their education and graduate, but it can also enhance the institution’s reputation and competitiveness in the higher education landscape.
Scheduling and Room Management
Scheduling and Room Management systems typically include these key components: course scheduling, room reservation, academic calendar management, resource allocation, accessibility considerations, communication and notifications, as well as reporting and analytics. Scheduling and Room Management systems not only enhance the efficiency of operations but also support teaching and learning, which contributes to a smoother academic experience for the institution’s community.
Student Information
A Student Information System is used to keep track of student enrollment, grades, transcripts, financial aid, and other important information related to their academic progress. It not only ensures that institutions are able to manage their operations efficiently, but it facilitates communication and collaboration within the institution’s community.